Syria assures RF it has no plans to use chemical weapons – RF envoy

December 07, 2012, 16:19 UTC+3Russia sees as absolutely inadmissible the violation of international agreements concerning proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

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MOSCOW, December 7 (Itar-Tass) — Syria has assured Russia that it has no plans to use chemical weapons, Russia’s NATO Ambassador Alexander Grushko said during a video link between Moscow and Brussels.

Russia sees as absolutely inadmissible the violation of international agreements concerning proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. “We closely follow the situation,” he stressed, noting that Russia makes inquiries as soon as reports on repositioning of weapons appear. “And our interlocutors stated clearly that they have no plans to use chemical weapons and that the weapons are under secure control,” the permanent representative to NATO stressed.

“As for chemical weapons, the problem of proliferation and the use of weapons of mass destruction, and chemical weapons are part of these, is very serious,” he said. “The violation of any relevant international treaties is absolutely inadmissible for us,” the ambassador added. He stressed that this is Russia’s fundamental stance and it will maintain it in any situation.

Moscow does not rule out that NATO’s involvement in the Syrian conflict will be growing, Alexander Grushko said during a video bridge.

According to him, the deployment of the Patriot air defence missile systems in Turkey is the first sign that “NATO is getting involved in the conflict.” “We do not rule out that as a result of an incident, a possible incident on the Turkish-Syrian border, this involvement will be growing,” Grushko pointed out.